No Time to Exercise? What About 3 Seconds a Day?

[00:04:55]   The WHO recommends that resistance exercise be done at least twice a week, but few people do it. We wanted to know how a person can still develop muscle in a short time. What if one or two contractions per day could still work? This study was based on a study published in 1953 in Germany. They did an isometric contraction for six seconds daily for a few days per week for several weeks and found significant improvement in strength. The study was to see if eccentric exercise could work better than isometric exercise to improve muscle strength.

[00:08:02]   The study was designed by having participants perform exercises using a commercial level isokinetic dynamometer, focusing on bicep curls. The outcomes focus was on muscle strength and muscle growth.

[00:11:05]   The initial interest was in muscle damage during the eccentric phase of 10-20 reps. This produced soreness and strength loss for up to a few days. This did not happen with only 1 contraction.

[00:12:33]   Myoglobin escapes into the bloodstream when muscle tissue is damaged. Delayed onset muscle soreness is an indicator of muscle damage.

[00:13:32]   Resting is especially important for muscle growth. If you are going to employ eccentric work  with extreme weight, you should rest longer before you train that same muscle group again.

[00:15:00]   In the study participants had 12% improvements in muscle strength by performing one eccentric contraction per day for 5 days a week, but no improvements performing 6 contractions in one day per week.

[00:19:40]   The stimulus on the muscle consisted of 3 second contractions 5 days a week, in other words 15 seconds on total per week. Over the course of 4 weeks there were approximately 20% increases eccentric, isometric, and concentric muscle strength. There was no increase in muscle thickness over the 4-week period. The increases will most probably only be applicable to new trainees or sedentary individuals. It will also only be applicable to muscles that do not do usual day to day contractions.

[00:27:38]   During another study there was not much difference between the eccentric and concentric contractions in the heart rate increase.

[00:30:22]   Concentric contractions makes muscles fatigue earlier. Focusing on eccentric contractions will bring more mechanical stimulus to the muscles. Without a special machine, these movements can be achieved by employing the help of a spotter/training partner.

[00:33:50]   Eccentric only training can increase not only strength and muscle, but also improvement in insulin sensitivity and the lipid profile.

[00:35:00]   Muscle mass is invaluable in promoting insulin sensitivity.

[00:36:05]   It was found that less energy is used during eccentric cycling, but after the training more energy is utilized throughout the day than with conventional cycling. Therefore, fat reduction is greater after eccentric cycling than conventional cycling.

[00:45:59]   Blood flow is intact during eccentric contractions. Occluding blood flow with blood flow restriction methods during the eccentric training could be beneficial, but more studies need to be done.

[00:48:22]   What was surprising from the study is the fact that atrophy can be prevented by just a few seconds of eccentric contractions per day. A sample would be during space travel where there is little means to exercise.

[00:48:48]   Not only is eccentric work valuable to the athlete, to the bodybuilder, but also to the person who is not in decent shape or injured, ill or frail.

[00:50:10]   Greater effects with eccentric contractions was even experienced in cross education.

[00:52:13]   Many good studies show that the more muscle you carry later on in life, especially for men past 65, you have greater longevity.

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